South Valley
| Park Map |
Difficulty Rating (1-5 scale, 5 being the most difficult)
Physical: 2-3
Technical: 2
Navigational: 2-4
South Valley sits at the southern part of the Ken Caryl Valley. The eastern trails straddle a hogback (smaller and west of the larger one that separates the foothills from the plains). On the western side, the Grazing Elk trail circles a mesa below a Lockheed Martin facility, and connects to Deer Creek Canyon Park. There are no major climbs, and some of the trails are hiker only.
Weather and Seasons
The trails stay low, so can get very hot in the summer. We usually run this in fall, winter and spring, avoiding it when it's hot. The Lyons Back trail over the hogback can be a bit icy, but otherwise isn't bad. However, when it's wet, the Cathy Johnson and Columbine Trails can be very muddy. The hogback trails are fairly well protected from strong winds, while the Grazing Elk trail is very exposed. Rattlesnakes are prominent in this area. The Grazing Elk trail is closed in the spring for elk calving.
Driving Directions
Take C-470 to the Ken Caryl exit. Go W into the valley. Stay left at the Y onto S Valley Rd. In 1mi, continue straight at the stop sign. The entrance is 0.1mi past the stop sign. Meet by the large, trail map and kiosk.
http://g.co/maps/6etyn
Picnics
For picnics, we'll gather at the shelter a bit up from the lot.
Running Routes
There are two main routes, Hogback and Grazing Elk. Most of the time we run the Hogback route, but avoid it when it's icy. We usually run the Grazing Elk route in the darker months. The Hogback route is hillier, more technical, and more complicated to follow.
Hogback: From the map, start up the trail, then left, up the Coyote Song trail. At the top of the short climb, stay right and follow Coyote Song as it rolls downhill. In 1/2mi, go left and climb the Lyons Back trail to the Columbine trail. We'll split into different routes from the top. Routes are designed to be about 1 hour.
Grazing Elk: From the map, start up the trail, then go right, down the Swallow trail. In 0.9mi, stay right and continue out to the road. Cross the road, then climb up to the Grazing Elk trail We usually go right and run the trail in a counter-clockwise direction. Return the same way, with some add-ons for faster runner. Routes are designed to be 50-60 minutes.
On Thursday nights, DTR has different routes at each run. The different routes are designed so that we can accommodate runners of different speeds and still start/finish at about the same time. See more info on choosing the appropriate route for you.
Physical: 2-3
Technical: 2
Navigational: 2-4
South Valley sits at the southern part of the Ken Caryl Valley. The eastern trails straddle a hogback (smaller and west of the larger one that separates the foothills from the plains). On the western side, the Grazing Elk trail circles a mesa below a Lockheed Martin facility, and connects to Deer Creek Canyon Park. There are no major climbs, and some of the trails are hiker only.
Weather and Seasons
The trails stay low, so can get very hot in the summer. We usually run this in fall, winter and spring, avoiding it when it's hot. The Lyons Back trail over the hogback can be a bit icy, but otherwise isn't bad. However, when it's wet, the Cathy Johnson and Columbine Trails can be very muddy. The hogback trails are fairly well protected from strong winds, while the Grazing Elk trail is very exposed. Rattlesnakes are prominent in this area. The Grazing Elk trail is closed in the spring for elk calving.
Driving Directions
Take C-470 to the Ken Caryl exit. Go W into the valley. Stay left at the Y onto S Valley Rd. In 1mi, continue straight at the stop sign. The entrance is 0.1mi past the stop sign. Meet by the large, trail map and kiosk.
http://g.co/maps/6etyn
Picnics
For picnics, we'll gather at the shelter a bit up from the lot.
Running Routes
There are two main routes, Hogback and Grazing Elk. Most of the time we run the Hogback route, but avoid it when it's icy. We usually run the Grazing Elk route in the darker months. The Hogback route is hillier, more technical, and more complicated to follow.
Hogback: From the map, start up the trail, then left, up the Coyote Song trail. At the top of the short climb, stay right and follow Coyote Song as it rolls downhill. In 1/2mi, go left and climb the Lyons Back trail to the Columbine trail. We'll split into different routes from the top. Routes are designed to be about 1 hour.
Grazing Elk: From the map, start up the trail, then go right, down the Swallow trail. In 0.9mi, stay right and continue out to the road. Cross the road, then climb up to the Grazing Elk trail We usually go right and run the trail in a counter-clockwise direction. Return the same way, with some add-ons for faster runner. Routes are designed to be 50-60 minutes.
On Thursday nights, DTR has different routes at each run. The different routes are designed so that we can accommodate runners of different speeds and still start/finish at about the same time. See more info on choosing the appropriate route for you.